Candidate Forums Drew Voters from Around the District

May 19, 2026 - Last month, CCE organized and hosted two non-partisan educational candidate forums in advance of the D.C. primaries focused on The Future of Safety and Justice in D.C. Over 30 other community-based organizations (listed and linked below) joined CCE in cosponsoring these forums. The first, for the mayoral race, was held on April 28 at the University of the District of Columbia and was moderated by NBC Reporter Ted Oberg; there was an audience of over 300 D.C. voters. The forum for candidates for U.S. Congressional delegate was held on April 30 at THEARC, an arts and culture venue in Ward 8; it was moderated by Georgetown Law Professor Paul Butler and attended by around 100 voters. Almost all of the candidates for both races participated, leading to robust discussions about our community’s legal and justice systems and public safety. These educational forums offered District residents the opportunity to hear candidates’ positions on and plans for safety and justice, including all aspects of our adult criminal and youth justice systems, as well as the courts, civil access to justice, administrative law, and other issues that intersect with D.C.’s legal system.

In addition to the generous support of our cosponsors, we also extend special thanks to The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and the Diane and Norman Bernstein Foundation for their generous support in making these nonpartisan, educational community forums possible. 

Our Cosponsoring Organizations:

• Bar Association of the District of Columbia
• ‍Bread for the City
• BreakFree Education
• Building Bridges Across the River
• Center for Innovations in Community Safety (Georgetown Law)
• Children's Law Center
• Critical Exposure‍
• DC Access to Justice Commission
• DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
• DC Bar’s DC Affairs Steering Committee
• DC Coalition Aganist Domestic Violence
• DC Consortium of Legal Services Providers
• DC Fiscal Policy Institute
• DC Justice Lab
• Disability Rights DC
• Festival Center
• Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop
• Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia
• More Than Our Crimes
• Open City Advocates
• Peace For DC
• Reentry Action Network
• School Justice Project (SJP)
• Second Look Project
• Thrive Under 25 Coalition
• Trial Lawyers Association of DC
• Tzedek DC
• University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law‍
• Voices for a Second Chance
• Washington Bar Association, Inc.
• Washington Council of Lawyers
• Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs

‍Note: The Council for Court Excellence does not make candidate endorsements. All of the forum’s co-sponsors have agreed not to make endorsements until after the forums or likewise do not make official endorsements.